English_Grammar_in_Use

U NIT

Noun + preposition ("reason

115 fOf," "cause of," etc.)

Study this list of nouns + preposition. Sometimes other prepositions are possible - a good dictionary will give you more information.

a check FOR (a sum of money):

• They sent me a check for $100.

a demand / a need FOR something:

•The company closed down because there wasn't enough demand for its product.

a reason FOR something:

• The train was late but no one knew the reason for the delay.

a rise / an increase / a fall / a decrease IN something:

• There has been an increase in automobile accidents lately.

an advantage / a disadvantage OF something:

• The advantage of living alone is that you can do what you like. but we say "there is an advantage in (or to) doing something":

• There are many advantages in (or to) living alone.

a cause OF something:

• Nobody knows what the cause of the explosion was.

a photograph / a picture OF someone/something:

• He always keeps a photograph of his wife in his wallet.

damage TO something:

• The accident was my fault, so I paid for the damage to the other car.

an invitation TO a party / a wedding, etc. :

• Did you get an invitation to the party?

a reaction TO something:

• I was surprised at her reaction to what I said.

a solution TO a problem / an answer TO a question / a reply TO a letter / a key TO a door:

•Do you think we'll find a solution to this problem?

•The answer to your question is "No"!

an attitude TO/TOWARD someone/something:

• His attitude to/toward his job is very negative.

a relationship / a connection / contact WITH someone/something:

•Do you have a good relationship with your parents?

•The police want to question a man in connection with the robbery.

but: a relationship / a connection / a difference BETWEEN two things:

•The police have said that there is no connection between the two murders.

•There are some differences between British English and American English.

232

UNIT 115 Exercises

Read the sentence and then complete the following sentence with the same meaning.

Example: What caused the explosion?		What was the cause .1J£..t.he.. e.XpJa.s.ion. ..... ?
1.	We're trying to solve the problem.	We're trying to find a solution	..
2.	Ann gets along well with her brother. Ann has a good relationship		..
3.	Prices have increased a lot. There has been a big increase		..
4.	I don't know how to answer your question. I can't think of an answer		..
5.	Nobody wants to buy shoes like these anymore.
	There is no demand		..
6.	I think that being married has some advantages.
	I think that there are some advantages		.
7.	The number of people without jobs has fallen this year.
	There has been a fall		..
8.	I don't think that a new highway is necessary.
	I don't think that there is any need		.

Complete these sentences with the correct preposition.

Example: There are some differences betwem British English and American English.

1.	I just received an invitation		a wedding next week.
2.	The cause	the fire in the hotel last night is still unknown.
3.	Ann showed me a photograph		the hotel where she stayed on her vacation.
4.	Money isn't the solution		every problem.
5.	The company has rejected the workers' demands			an increase		.
	pay.
6.	The two companies are completely independent. There is no connection					..
	them.
7.	When I opened the envelope, I was delighted to find a check				$500.
8.	Have you seen this picture		the town as it looked 100 years ago?
9.	Sorry I haven't written to you for so long. The reason				this is that I've been
	sick.
10.	The advantage	having a car is that you don't have to rely on public
	transportation.
11.	There are many advantages		being able to speak a foreign language.
12.	There has been a sharp rise		the cost of living in the past few years.
13.	The front door is locked. Do you have the key			the back door?
14.	Bill and I used to be good friends, but I don't have much contact				him now.
15.	I've never met Carol, but I've seen a picture			her.
16.	It wasn't a serious accident. The damage			the car was only slight.
17.	Tom's reaction	my suggestion was not very enthusiastic.
18.	What were George's reasons		giving up his job?
19.	The fact that he got a job in the company has no connection				the fact that his
	father is the managing director.
20.	When he left home, his attitude		his parents seemed to change.
21.	I wrote to Sue last month, but I still haven't received a reply				my letter.

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U NIT

Preposition + noun ("by 116 mistake," "on television," etc.)

Students often use the wrong preposition before the words in this unit, so study this list carefully:

to pay BY check (but to pay IN cash or to pay cash):

• Did you pay by check or in cash? (to do something) BY accident / BY mistake / BY chance:

• We hadn't arranged to meet. We met by chance.

a play BY Shakespeare / a painting BY Rembrandt / a novel BY Tolstoy, etc. :

•Have you read any books by Tolstoy? (= any books written by Tolstoy?)

(to be/to fall) IN love WITH someone:

• Have you ever been in love with anyone?

IN (my) opinion:

• In my opinion the film wasn't very good.

IN time (= soon enough for something/soon enough to do something):

•Will you be home in time for dinner? (= soon enough for dinner)

•We got to the station just in time to catch the train.

ON time (= punctual, not late)

•	The 11 :45 train left on time. (= it left at 11 :45)
•	The conference was well organized. Everything began on time.

(to be) ON fire:

• Look! That car is on fire. (to be) ON the telephone / ON the phone:

• I've never met her but I've spoken to her on the phone. ON television / ON the radio:

• I didn't watch the game on television. I listened to it on the radio.

(to be/to go) ON a diet:

• I've put on a lot of weight. I'll have to go on a diet.

(to be/to go) ON strike:

• There are no trains today. The railroad workers are on strike.

(to be/to go) ON vacation / ON business / ON a trip / ON a tour / ON a cruise / ON an expedition, etc.

•Did you go to Paris on business or on vacation?

•One day I'd like to go on a world tour.

but you can also say "go to a place FOR a vacation / FOR my vacation":

•Tom has gone to France for a vacation.

•Where are you going for your vacation this year?

(to go/to come) FOR a walk / FOR a swim / FOR a meal, etc.:

•She always goes for a walk with her dog in the morning.

•After work we went to the restaurant for a meal.

(to have something) FOR breakfast / FOR lunch / FOR dinner:

• What did you have for lunch?

234

Unit 116 Exercises

Complete these sentences. Use a preposition with a word or phrase from the box.

mistake	time	a FHeal	a swim	strike
the phone	television	Shakespeare	time	love
business	a diet	breakfast	check

1.	After work we went to a restaurant for.. a. .meal•...........
2.	The factory has closed because the workers have gone			.
3.	I didn't mean to take your umbrella. I took it			.
4.	I got up late this morning and had to rush. All I had			was a cup oftea.
5.	I feel lazy tonight. Is there anything worth watching			?
6.	The train service is very good. The trains always run			.
7.	They fell	with each other immediately and were married in weeks.
8.	It was an extremely hot day, so we went		in the lake.
9.	Jim's job involves a lot of traveling. He often goes to other cities			.
10.	I didn't have any money on me, so I paid		..
11.	George has put on a lot of weight recently. I think he should go			.
12.	I washed your shirt this morning, so it should be dry			for you to
	wear it this evening.
13.	I can never reach Sue. Whenever I call, she's always			.
14.	Hamlet and Macbeth are plays		.

Complete these sentences with the correctpreposition.

Example: We hadn't arranged to meet. We met				by	chance.
1.	I'm hungry. What's		dinner this evening?
2.	.	my opinion, violent movies shouldn't be shown					TV.
3.	I think I need some exercise. Do you want to go				a walk?
4.	A dog ran across the street in front ofthe car, but I managed to stop just						time.
5.	Do you know any songs		the Beatles?
6.	I'd better not eat too much. I'm supposed to be				a diet.
7.	There was panic when people realized the building was					fire.
8.	Next month I'm going to Mexico			a short vacation.
9.	Where did you go		your vacation last year?
10.	I won't be at work next week. I'll be			vacation.
11.	I wouldn't like to go		a cruise. I think I'd get bored.
12.	The store clerk wouldn't accept my check and insisted that I pay					cash.
13.	Ann reads a lot of books		American writers.
14.	Did you hear the news this morning			the radio?
15.	Please don't be late for the meeting. We want to begin					time.
16.	I would like to get up		time to have a big breakfast before going to work.
17.	It was only	accident that I found out who the man really was.
18.	When we went to Rome, we went			a tour around the city.
19.	I wouldn't like his job. He spends most of his time talking					the telephone.
20.	When I was 14, I went		a trip to France.
21.	Ann liked the dress, but		my opinion it didn't look very good on her.

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U N J T

117 Adjective + preposition (1)

Study these groups of adjectives + preposition. Sometimes other prepositions are possible - a good dictionary will give you more information.

nice/kind/good/generous/mean/stupid/silly/intelligent/sensible/(im)polite/rude/unreasonable OF someone (to do something):

_	Thank you. It was very nice/kind of you to help me.
_	It's stupid of her to go out without a coat. She'll catch cold.

but: (to be) nice/kind/good/generous/mean/(im)polite/rude/(un)pleasant/(un)friendly/cruel TO

someone:	_	She has always been very nice/kind to me. (not with me)
	_	Why were you so rude/unfriendly to Bill?
	.	{ ABOUT something

angry/annoyed/furious WITH someone FOR doing something:

_ What are you so angry/annoyed about?

_ They were furious with me for not inviting them to the party.

delighted/pleased/satisfied/disappointed WITH something:

_ I was delighted with the present you gave me.

_ Were you disappointed with your exam results?

bored/fed up WITH something:

_ You get bored with doing the same thing every day. _ I'm fed up with doing the dishes all the time.

surprised/shocked/amazed/astonished AT/BY something:

_ Everybody was surprised at/by the news.

_ I was shocked at/by the condition of the building. excited/worried/upset ABOUT something:

_ Are you excited about going on vacation next week? _ Ann is upset about not being invited to the party.

afraid/frightened/terrified/scared OF someone/something:

_ "Are you afraid of dogs?" "Yes, I'm terrified of them."

proud/ashamed OF someone/something:

_ I'm not ashamed of what I did. In fact I'm quite proud of it.

jealous/envious/suspicious OF someone/something:

_ Why are you always so jealous of other people?

_ He didn't trust me. He was suspicious of my intentions.

aware/conscious OF something:

_ "Did you know they were married?" "No, I wasn't aware of that. "

good/bad/excellent/brilliant AT (doing) something:

_ I'm not very good at repairing things.

married/engaged TO someone:

_ Linda is married to an American. (not with an American)

236

UNIT 117 Exercises

Say how you feel about George in each situation.

Example: George has kept you waiting for hours. (annoyed) :r..'m.aJanoyed.w/~h.him....

1.	George hasn't been eating well recently. (worried) I'm	him.
2.	George has been telling lies about you. (angry) I'm	him.
3.	George is much better at everything than you are. (jealous)	.
4.	George is big, strong, aggressive, and violent. (afraid)	..
5.	You've had enough of George. (fed up) I'm	.

Complete these sentences with the correct preposition.

Example: I was delighted .w.ith .... the present you sent me.
1.	It's very nice	you to let me use your car. Thank you very much.
2.	Why are you always so impolite		your parents? Can't you be nice		.
	them?
3.	It wasn't very polite	him to leave without saying thank you.
4.	I can't understand people who are cruel		animals.
5.	Why do you always get so annoyed		little things?
6.	The people next door are annoyed		us	making so much noise last
	night.
7.	We enjoyed our vacation, but we were disappointed			the hotel.
8.	I was surprised	the way he behaved. It was out of character.
9.	She doesn't go out at night very much. She's afraid			the dark.
10.	I've been trying to learn Spanish, but I'm not satisfied			my progress.
11.	Jill starts her new job on Monday. She's very excited			it.
12.	I was shocked	what you said. You should be ashamed			yourself.
13.	Did you know that Linda is engaged		a friend of mine?
14.	I had never seen so many people before. I was astonished			the crowds.
15.	Bill has been doing the same job for too long. He's bored			it.
16.	These days everybody is aware		the dangers of smoking.
17.	Are you still upset	what I said to you yesterday?
18.	She's very nice, but I wouldn't like to be married			her.

19. Mr. Davis spends a lot of time gardening. His garden is very well-kept, and he's very
	proud	it.
	Write sentences about yourself. Are you good at these things or not? Use:
	brilliant	very good	pretty good	not very good
Examples: (repairing things)			1'm .110t..ve.r.y g.o.Q.ti..a.t. J!:epair:ing. :thin9~".""""""" ..
		(tennis) .1.'m.pr.etty.g.ood.-..a.t..t.eJ.'1ni:s			.
1.	(repairing things)				.
2.	(tennis)				.
3.	(remembering people's names)				..
4.	(telling jokes)				.
5.	(languages)				.

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U NIT

118 Adjective + preposition (2)

Study this list of adjectives + preposition:

sorry ABOUT something:

• I'm sorry about the noise last night. We were having a party. but: sorry FOR doing something:

• I'm sorry for shouting at you yesterday.

You can also say:

• I'm sorry I shouted at you yesterday. (to feel/to be) sorry FOR someone:

• I feel sorry for George. He has no friends and no money.

crazy ABOUT something:

•Ann is crazy about Westerns. She'd go to the movies every night if a Western were playing.

impressed BY/WITH someone/something:

• I wasn't very impressed by/with the movie.

famous FOR something:

• The Italian city of Florence is famous for its art treasures.

responsible FOR something:

• Who was responsible for all that noise last night?

different FROM someone/something (in informal English we sometimes say different THAN):

• The movie was quite different from what I expected.

interested IN something:

• Are you interested in art and architecture?

capable/incapable OF something:

• I'm sure you are capable of passing the examination.

fond OF someone/something:

• Mary is very fond of animals. She has three cats and two dogs.

full OF something:

• The letter I wrote was full of mistakes.

short OF something:

• I'm a little short of money. Can you lend me some?

tired OF something:

• Come on, let's go! I'm tired of waiting.

similar TO something:

• Your writing is similar to mine.

crowded WITH (people, etc.):

• The city was crowded with tourists.

238

UNIT 118 Exercises

Complete the sentences. Each time use the most appropriate word in the box with the correct preposition.

		different	full	serry	responsible	interested
		short	similar	tired	capable	impressed
1.		I don't feel ..,sOY.r..y.fO'Y:		George. All his problems are his own fault.
2.		I can't stop to talk to you now. I'm a little				time.
3.		"Do you want to watch the football game on television?"				"No, thanks. I'm not
		................................. football."
4.		Your shoes are			mine, but they're not exactly the same.
5.		My new job is a completely new experience for me. It's very							what
		I did before.
6.		The human race is now			destroying the whole world with nuclear
		weapons.
7.		We've got plenty of things to eat. The refrigerator is						food.
8.		I wasn't very			the service in the restaurant. We had to wait a long
		time before getting our food.
9.		Can't we have something different to eat for a change? I'm							having
		the same thing day after day.
10.		The editor is			what appears in the newspaper.

Complete these sentences with the correct preposition.

Example: Sorry ..8bl)"~.... the noise last night. We were having a party.
1.	I'd rather not go to an Indian restaurant. I'm not crazy			Indian food.
2.	Ann is very fond	her younger brother.
3.	This part oftown is always very lively at night. It's usually crowded				people.
4.	In the closet I found a box full		old letters.
5.	I felt sorry	the children when we went on vacation. It rained every day, and
	they had to spend most of the time indoors.
6.	He said he was sorry		the situation, but that there was nothing he could do.
7.	France is famous	its food.
8.	They looked bored. I don't think they were interested			what I was saying.
9.	Joe failed his driving test many times. He isn't capable			driving a car.
10.	The man we interviewed for the job was quite intelligent, but we weren't very impressed
	................. his appearance.
11.	Traveling is great at first, but you get tired			it after a while.
12.	Do you know anyone who might be interested			buying an old car?
13.	Our house is similar		theirs, but I think ours is a little bigger.
14.	Sue and I come from the same country, but my accent is different				hers.
15.	The police are responsible		maintaining law and order.
16.	We're short	staff in our office at the moment. There aren't enough people to
	do the work that has to be done.
17.	I'm sorry	the smell in this room. It's just been painted.

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"1 don't know. It depends on the

U NIT

119 Verb + preposition (1)

Study this list of verbs + preposition:

apologize (TO someone) FOR something (see also Unit 57a):

• When 1 realized 1 was wrong, 1 apologized to him for my mistake.

apply FOR a job / admission to a university, etc. :

• 1 think you'd be good at this job. Why don't you apply for it?

believe IN something:

•Do you believe in God? (= Do you believe that God exists?)

•1 believe in saying what 1 think. (= 1 believe that it is a good thing to say what 1 think.)

belong TO someone:

• Who does this coat belong to?

care ABOUT someone/something ( = think someone/something is important):

• He is very selfish. He doesn't care about other people.

care FOR someone/something:

i)= like something (usually in questions and negative sentences):

•Would you care for a cup of coffee? (= Would you like ... ?)

•1 don't care for hot weather. (= 1 don't like ... )

ii)= look after someone:

•She is very old. She needs someone to care for her.

take care OF someone/something (= look after):

•Have a nice vacation. Take care of yourself!

•Will you take care of the children while I'm away?

collide WITH someone/something:

• There was an accident this morning. A bus collided witb a car.

complain (TO someone) ABOUT someone/something:

• We complained to the manager of the restaurant about the food.

concentrate ON something:

• Don't look out the window. Concentrate on your work!

consist OF something:

• We had an enormous meal. It consisted of seven courses.

crash/drive/bump/run INTO someone/something:

• He lost control of the car and crashed into a wall.

depend ON someone/something:

• "What time will you arrive?" traffic. "

You can leave out on before question words (when/where/how, etc.):

• "Are you going to buy it?" "It depends (on) how much it is."

die OF an illness:

• "What did he die of?" "A heart attack."

240

UNIT 119		Exercises
	Complete the sentences. Each time use one of the following words with the correct
	preposition:	belong applied ~ die concentrate believe
	crashed	depends

1.When 1 realized that 1 had taken the wrong umbrella, 1 immediately 8po!o91'z.ed.for.. ...

my mistake.

2.1was driving along when the car in front of me stopped suddenly. Unfortunately 1

	couldn't stop in time and		the back of it.
3.	"Does this bag	you?"	"No, it isn't mine."
4.	Don't try and do two things at once. .		one thing at a time.
5.	Jane is still unemployed. She has		several jobs but hasn't had any
	luck yet.
6.	"Are you playing tennis tomorrow?" "1 hope so, but it			the
	weather."
7.	If you smoke, there is a greater chance that you will			.lung cancer.
8.	1 don't	ghosts. 1 think people only imagine that they see them.

Complete these sentences with a preposition (if a preposition is necessary).

Example: There was an accident this morning. A bus collided .. wit.h ..... a car.
1.		He loves to complain. He complains			everything.
2.		Our neighbors complained		us	the noise we made last night.
3.		She doesn't have a job. She depends			her parents for money.
4.		You were very rude to Tom. Don't you think you should apologize					him?
5.		Are you going to apologize		what you did?
6.		Jill and 1 ran	each other downtown yesterday afternoon.
7.		He decided to give up sports in order to concentrate				his studies.
8.		1 don't believe	working hard. It's not worth it.
9.		A soccer team consists	11 players.
10.		It is terrible that some people are dying			hunger while others eat too much.
11.		As 1 was going out ofthe room, 1 collided			someone who was coming in.
12.		There was an awful noise as the car crashed			the tree.
13.		Do you belong	a political party?
14.		1 don't know whether I'll go out tonight. It depends				how 1 feel.
	Put in the correct preposition after care.
Example: He's very selfish. He doesn't care .abo.ut .... other people.
1.		Are you hungry? Would you care			something to eat?
2.		He doesn't care	the exam. He's not worried whether he passes or fails.
3.		Please let me borrow your camera. 1 promise I'll take good care				it.
4.		1 don't care	money. It's not important to me.
S.		Don't worry about arranging our vacation. I'll take care				that.
6.		"Do you like this coat?" "No, 1 don't care			the color."

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